House gives approval to anti-spam measure

AUGUSTA – Without a word of debate, the Maine House gave initial approval Friday to a bill that would put Maine among the states that have given computer users a shield against unsolicited e-mail messages.

The anti-spam bill requires senders to include return e-mail addresses so recipients can respond and say they don’t want any more commercial messages, said the sponsor, Rep. Albion Goodwin.

Goodwin said the bill also requires commercial e-mails to include coding to show them as advertisements, and additional coding to show if they are adult material.

Goodwin, D-Pembroke, sponsored similar legislation last session but it was rejected after House and Senate negotiators failed to reach a compromise. Goodwin said kinks in the bill have since been worked out.

About 30 states have passed similar bills, Goodwin said.